July 23/12 11:55 am - Cascade Classic: Women Stage 5 and Final GC

Posted by Editoress on 07/23/12

High heat and a challenging course set the tone for the all out battle on the final stage of the Cascade Cycling Classic. Three laps of the Awbrey Butte Circuit was on tap. Typically this race is 4 laps but because the men were confused in the women's finish last year, the race organizers cut the women's race to three laps. With Armstrong back in Boise, it was up to her teammates to pick up where she left off! Exergy TWENTY12 were very active. Sprenger and Antonneau covered early moves, On the final lap Dvorak found herself in a break, the gap grew but eventually came back. Crowell attacked forcing a hard chase, she was caught but this meant a select group came up the final Archie Briggs climb, Tayler Wiles put in a good dig too, putting other teams on the back foot, shortly after Wiles got reeled in McGrath attacked creating a small gap, nobody could answer and Cliff-Ryan was in perfect position to launch a counter, sitting 2nd wheel in the chase if she got caught. McGrath put her head down and knew all too well how to win this stage as she did in 2009. She took it to the line and Cliff-Ryan sprinted for 2nd.

"The team did an awesome job of making the race hard” commented McGrath. “especially leading into the final ascent of Aubrey Butte. Their hard work set me up perfectly to escape on the rollers leading to the finish." "Sharing the podium with all my teammates, for Team GC, was the best way to cap off a super week of teamwork and hard racing."

“The team was amazing today” Said Cliff-Ryan. “ and I was super motivated to make up for last night’s 2nd place. The girls were super aggressive and attacked in all the key spots to eventually set up KMac for an unbelievable solo effort for the win. And I was able to sprint for the bunch win (2nd)” Report by Exergy TWENTY12